Knicks nearly trade for Ricky Rubio, Nets land K.J. McDaniels

In what has become an annual tradition, the NBA trade deadline was much ado about nothing.

None of the big names mentioned in trade rumors were dealt before the 3 p.m. swapping stop time, including the Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony.

Phil Jackson at least tried to send Anthony packing, as The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote early Thursday morning, “I was told that the Knicks are still making some calls on the last 24 hours, trying to get some traction on possible deals for him. They don’t have anything now and Carmelo is still headstrong on not wanting to waive his non-trade clause and at least finishing out this season in New York.”

It’s entirely possible that the Knicks will revisit Anthony trade talks this summer, something ESPN’s Ian Begley pointed out prior to the deadline.

“If nothing happens by Thursday, that doesn’t necessarily mean the trade rumors surrounding Anthony will subside,” Begley wrote. “If he doesn’t agree to be traded by Thursday, some in the Clippers organization believe Anthony will be willing to waive his no-trade clause and come to Los Angeles to join Chris Paul this summer, per league sources with knowledge of the situation.”

Jackson was making plenty of phone calls on Thursday, most to the 612 area code. Those talks with Minnesota did not involved Anthony, but rather point guard Derrick Rose.

“At the finish line, league sources say, New York was prepared to trade Derrick Rose for Ricky Rubio straight up. But the Wolves balked,” ESPN’s Marc Stein tweeted.

With the Knicks highly unlikely to make any sort of playoff push this spring (they’re four games out of the eight spot in the East with four teams ahead of them), expect them to limit Anthony and Rose’s minutes the rest of the season in order to improve their draft position. In Metro’s latest 2017 NBA Mock Draft, the Knicks select No. 8 overall and pick point guard Dennis Smith. This summer’s draft will be point guard heavy, with Washington PG Markelle Fultz and UCLA PG Lonzo Ball as the top prizes.